COTA SA welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the review of the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous) Amendment Regulations 2024 and Draft Residential Parks (Electricity Information) Amendment Regulations 2024. We submitted our response by letter to The Hon Andrea Michaels MP on 3 May 2024.

COTA SA is supportive of the Residential Tenancies Amendments that have recently passed and been implemented as of 1 March 2024. We have been actively communicating over recent months and years in relation to consideration of Residential Parks and to share our insights.

COTA SA has collaborated closely with SA Residential Parks Residents’ Association (SARPRA) over the years to better understand the lived experiences of park residents. We engage with thousands of older South Australian renters each year and identify and advocate for amendments in both the Residential Tenancies Act and the Residential Parks Act that would improve the security and equity of their housing.

COTA SA is broadly supportive of draft changes to the Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous) Amendment Regulations 2024 and Residential Parks (Electricity Information) Regulations 2024. In addition to the proposed amendments, we highlight the importance of ongoing investment in promoting information and services that assist people to know and exercise their rights as tenants, including receiving assistance to navigate a dispute or when something goes wrong. This information and advocacy must be easily accessible and easy to understand, including with consideration to people with low levels of literacy, including digital literacy and access, to ensure these tenants are not disadvantaged.

Download the submission below to read our itemised comments.